Staff Engineer versus The Software Engineer's Guidebook.
Both show up on every "best" list. They're not competitors. They're a sequence. Here's which one to read first, and when.
Reviewed by Ashish Sheth · Updated July 2026
Author
Will Larson
Gergely Orosz
Pages
337
413
Published
2021
2023
Publisher
Will Larson
Pragmatic Engineer BV
Level
advanced
intermediate
Amazon Rating
4.5/5 (1,100)
4.5/5 (170)
Goodreads Rating
4.04/5 (3,172)
4.08/5 (852)
Staff Engineer
Strengths
+ Names and clarifies a role most companies define poorly
+ The archetypes give language for very different jobs
+ Interview stories ground the advice in real experience
+ Rare, focused treatment of the IC leadership track
Caveats
− Part guidebook, part interview anthology; feels uneven to some
− Big-tech framing fits scale-ups better than small companies
− Less prescriptive than readers expecting a step-by-step plan
The Software Engineer's Guidebook
Strengths
+ Broad, practical map of the whole engineering career
+ Draws on Orosz's industry interviews, not just one company
+ Actionable rather than motivational: playbooks you can use now
+ Especially useful for engineers outside big-tech culture
Caveats
− Breadth means some topics are surveyed rather than deep
− Big-tech framing feels less tailored to tiny startups
− Senior readers may already know parts of the early material
The verdict
Read The Software Engineer's Guidebook first to build foundations, then move to Staff Engineer for advanced concepts.
Staff Engineer
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The Software Engineer's Guidebook
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Frequently asked
Which is better, Staff Engineer or The Software Engineer's Guidebook?
Read The Software Engineer's Guidebook first to build foundations, then move to Staff Engineer for advanced concepts.
Is Staff Engineer worth reading in 2026?
Yes for senior engineers eyeing the staff-plus track. It remains the clearest map of a role most companies still define poorly, and its archetypes and interviews are widely referenced. Pair it with your own company's ladder, which it explicitly cannot replace.
Is The Software Engineer's Guidebook worth it?
Yes for engineers targeting senior, staff, or lead roles who want the expectations made explicit. It is broad and practical, built from Orosz's industry interviews. Staff-plus engineers wanting narrow advanced depth may prefer Will Larson's Staff Engineer instead.